Page 43 of Break the Ice

Norah leans forward to look at him. ‘Joshua? Phoebe, that’s the young man who’s supposed to be in my house, feeding my fish⁠—’

‘And please rest assured, Norah, that my intention is to help deliver the dog and then go straight back to London for the fish,’ Josh interrupts, making a face at me.

‘Hi Joshua! How are you?’ she says.

‘I’m really well, thank you Norah. Hope you and the family are doing OK?’

‘Yeah, we’re good. Just getting ready for tomorrow, you know?’ she says in a friendly, upbeat tone that I don’t think she’s ever gifted me. Case in point – when I turn the phone back to face me, Norah seems to be making sex gestures, asking if I’m shagging her housesitting fish boy. I widen my eyes at her, shaking my head. ‘My car broke down at yours and Joshua and I came to an agreement that he would help. We got stuck in the snow waiting for the roads to clear and now we’re stuck here.’

‘Alone in a shepherd’s hut, with a fire… and no bra.’ She whispers the last part.

‘Piss off,’ I mouth.

‘He’s excellent with dogs. Much better than me,’ I add, more loudly, so Joshua can hear. ‘Your dog has zero recall, and he’s scared of the car. He howls when the engine is running. It’s why the journey has taken as long as it has.’

Norah takes that in. ‘Oh… I think that’s because he was dumped on the road. He was found in a layby, nearly got run over. He’s probably got trauma when it comes to cars.’

I put a protective arm around Steve, looking into his big brown eyes, wondering how anyone could be so callous as to do that to a living creature. I take back all those times I had a go at you for being scared in the car and whining. I bend down to hug him and kiss the top of his head affectionately. ‘Information that would have been useful early on, you know?’

‘So you and Joshua?’ she loud-whispers, also using her hands to support her question.

I shake my head, mainly because this shepherd’s hut is literally a studio room and I am sure he can sense and hear everything because her whispering is not entirely subtle.

‘He’s cute and smart and nearer your age,’ she tells me.

I stick my middle finger up at her, my mouth open in shock. I move nearer the bathroom so Joshua can’t be party to this conversation. ‘I hate you,’ I mouth.

‘Well, Merry Christmas, you guys. Please drive safe. Joshua?’

I move back towards the bed and turn the phone towards him. She notices the one bed and arches her eyebrows. ‘Thank you for doing this. You didn’t have to and I appreciate it. Is Phoebe behaving herself? She’s a lot.’

He looks up at me. Go on, join the pile-on so you can share in this joke that I am completely ridiculous and overbearing and lack any form of social grace or order.

He shakes his head. ‘Phoebe’s been great. She’s determined to get the dog to you, and she’s been a charming and interesting road-trip partner.’

I smile at him, turning the phone back to me, giving Norah wide eyes to acknowledge that I’ve been given the seal of approval from someone I hardly know.

‘Well, both of you, be safe,’ she says winking suggestively.

I know what she’s hinting at and it’s nothing to do with the snow. Once a big sister, always a big sister. I know once this call is finished she’ll be straight on to the sibling WhatsApp group with lots of distasteful emojis. I end the call and look over at Joshua, still sitting up on the edge of the bed.

‘I’m really sorry. Did you hear most of that? My sister isn’t very discreet.’

He shakes his head. He’s lying. ‘I just checked the web. The roads reopen at two a.m.’

I look at my phone and see that it’s already nine thirty. I guess time does fly when you’re having fun.

‘Can I suggest we stay here then?’ I ask, and wait for his reaction. ‘It’s about two and a half hours from here. Maybe we set off super early. I’ll set an alarm. I think it’s important we’re rested, yeah? Or more that you’re rested, because you’re the one driving.’

He looks around the hut. ‘Is that sofa a pullout?’

‘No. Don’t be silly. We can top and tail, I’ll build a wall out of pillows. I’ll put Steve between us,’ I say, smiling. ‘But…’ I don’t know how to tell him that I don’t mind sharing a bed with him because there’s something very genuine and trustworthy about him. And that’s something I’ve not felt before. To read someone so clearly, to know that he will not let me down.

‘Do you want me to keep my pants on?’ he asks.

I laugh as I realise what he means. ‘Oh… pants… the fisherman trousers. No, you better take them off, they’re far too sexy. I won’t be able to resist otherwise.’

He laughs and I have to admit, I like the sound of that very much.